The sensor can easily be fooled by fog, as its bright enough to think it's daylight despite visibility being reduced meaning your lights should be on.

 

Indeed, the same applies in rain too. There can be plenty of ambient light - which the sensor takes to mean 'lights off' - while the road conditions demand headlights for the sake of being seen, rather than just for seeing as such... It seems a pointless and potentially problematic omission on the instrument panel, I agree. One should always be aware of the car and the state of its various equipment, but one such indicator of that state is the lights on the binnacle/panel. Shame to remove it 'just because'.

The sensor can easily be fooled by fog, as its bright enough to think it's daylight despite visibility being reduced meaning your lights should be on.

IF it´s fooled by fog, the lights are turned on. We have a lot of fog here in DK, and it has never failed. So "thanks" for your concern, but I´m not driving around with DRL´s when I should not do so. That is not possible when the switch is in "Auto". 

I think the key point here is that while the technology is great and can contribute to enhanced safety for all, it is a driver assistance feature at the end of the day and like most features in a car should be used in conjunction with a little common sense.

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MIne (F30) has an indicator as well (green light left of the speedometer). I don't really understand why they would remove the sign.

Probably reintroduced for the F30 then... Although my wifes car (late e46) lights the dash with the auto headlights so it's quite easy to spot if they are on... Maybe the F30 has interior lights that come on separately so they thought the warning was worth it?

Even so the superb and Octavia both use the little green indicator on the switch to warn the driver if his auto lights are on(or not) so I don't see the issue. It's pretty clear to see and if you don't trust your auto headlights then over ride them manually but I bet they are far less likely to forget to turn our headlights on than any of us ;-)

IF it´s fooled by fog, the lights are turned on. We have a lot of fog here in DK, and it has never failed. So "thanks" for your concern, but I´m not driving around with DRL´s when I should not do so. That is not possible when the switch is in "Auto". 

 

Perhaps your fog is different to ours 

 

The sensor is fooled because it can't detect fog, it can only detect a drop in the ambient light.

 

Quite often when foggy it can be bright enough to not activate the sensor - therefore cars driving around in fog without lights on.

 

This brings us back to the point of this thread, people who rely on their Auto lights might find themselves without lights on when they should have them on.

 

The issue here is that they "think" their lights are turned on because their switch is in Auto. 

 

Having a little green light on the dash in your line of sight is a nice (but not essential) feature, it serves as a helpful reminder that your lights might not be turned on when you expect them to be.

 

But the moral of the story, or the key message I'm trying to get across is you can't rely on the Auto setting all of the time. Sometimes you need to use your brain, accept that you are responsible for driving safely and in accordance with the rules of the road, and that this might mean you need to manually turn on your headlights from time to time.

 

In these rare occurrences a clear visual indication that the headlights are turned on (or off) would be a bonus - there are no disadvantages to having it on the dash.

 

So, why have Skoda chosen to deliberately remove it? Who knows. Clearly they have more faith in their technology than some of us who actually have to live with it 

Edited 25 February, 201610 yr by silver1011

Indeed, the same applies in rain too. There can be plenty of ambient light - which the sensor takes to mean 'lights off' -

Doesnt the s3 turn on the lights when the wipers have been active for a few minutes?

I fully agree with silver101, driving in fog a couple of days ago I turned my lights to auto just to see if they worked, of course they did not as the light was too bright for the sensor to turn them on. I only turn my lights to auto at night to get the full benifit of the system.

In daylight with rain or fog I turn on manually. I also note the number of cars with no lights on in rain or fog, even no lights in built up areas with extremely bright street lights, no ,doubt they are relying on their light sensors. I do though not like not having a dipped light warning.  With light assist I only have a main beam warning light. This system is very good on straight roads but in rural Cornwall with so many bends and dips you get flashed as the assist system is quite slow to change the beam pattern. On good roads it is excellent when meeting on coming cars, or coming up behind, I love the pattern of the beams changing, almost as good as the pictures on skoda website.

Perhaps removing the auto light sensor would be  good safety idea, I know it is an awfully difficult action to turn the lights, but having driven many makes of car for 53 years I am quite happy to do this extremely difficult operation manually. Too much reliance is placed on computer assisted electronics in modern vehicles, they are not and never will be perfect, the MkI eyeball and a hand are less likeley to fail.

Mmm I am not sure what all the fuss is about.

 

If you have the light switch in AUTO then when the headlamps illuminate the small ‘sidelight’ lamp lights up next to the AUTO switch. OK not in the main display but not difficult to check if you think road conditions require headlamps. So there is an indication; it is just in a different place? It is just a matter of learning where to look to check isn’t it? I checked today and I don’t think it is anymore distracting than seeing it in the main display. In fact at night I would suggest having the lamp in the main display is more of a distraction.

 

There is a rain mode in Columbus which will switch on the headlamps 30 seconds after the wipers start running. This turns off about 4 minutes after turning off the wipers. So as long as you have it enabled the lamps will illuminate in rain irrespective of the lighting conditions.

 

All above is for my L&K so maybe it is different in other models. However, for me I don’t miss it in the main display and do not agree that auto lights have increased vehicles driving around without lights. In my experience there are generally far fewer cars driving around without lights, when conditions required them, than there were several years ago. Those that I do notice are usually older vehicles from the age before DRL and auto lights.

Remember also that if you have the map up on the screen, even if don't need to have a route programmed, when lights are on, the map background is black but white when lights are not on?

^^^ only if the sat nav brightness is set to auto though (you can set it to auto, night or daytime)

Remember also that if you have the map up on the screen, even if don't need to have a route programmed, when lights are on, the map background is black but white when lights are not on?

unless you disable the auto setting

Mmm I am not sure what all the fuss is about.

 

If you have the light switch in AUTO then when the headlamps illuminate the small ‘sidelight’ lamp lights up next to the AUTO switch. OK not in the main display but not difficult to check if you think road conditions require headlamps. So there is an indication; it is just in a different place? It is just a matter of learning where to look to check isn’t it? I checked today and I don’t think it is anymore distracting than seeing it in the main display. In fact at night I would suggest having the lamp in the main display is more of a distraction.

 

There is a rain mode in Columbus which will switch on the headlamps 30 seconds after the wipers start running. This turns off about 4 minutes after turning off the wipers. So as long as you have it enabled the lamps will illuminate in rain irrespective of the lighting conditions.

 

All above is for my L&K so maybe it is different in other models. However, for me I don’t miss it in the main display and do not agree that auto lights have increased vehicles driving around without lights. In my experience there are generally far fewer cars driving around without lights, when conditions required them, than there were several years ago. Those that I do notice are usually older vehicles from the age before DRL and auto lights.

 

That's good to hear. Many aren't so 'intelligent' unfortunately.

unless you disable the auto setting

That is one setting I disabled quite fast.

A dark map is annoying unless its really dark.

I presume the superb is the same as the Octavia in that you loose all adaptive lighting functions and the coming/leaving home lighting if you switch the lights on manually? Another reason to just leave it in auto and check they are on with the switch indicator. I've only driven in fog during the day a few times and my lights came on every time...

I was driving in fog the other week & my lights didn't come on in Auto, I assumed they had as it was quite dim & I could see light reflecting back off the car in front but this turned out to be the DRLs as my wife was following me & couldn't see any rear lights on. When your car is Business Grey like mine it really needs lights in the fog! I appreciate that people are saying you can tell in other ways but from my point of view I'd have known straight away with a quick glance at the dashboard for the green light which works really well in our Yeti & has also been the standard in cars for decades. I do feel this is a real backward step & totally unnecessary too.

 

I don't trust the Auto lights at all when it's foggy now & just turn them on manually as I don't want to be a numpty driving with no lights on.

Edited 26 February, 201610 yr by BFG1

I was driving in fog the other week & my lights didn't come on in Auto, I assumed they had as it was quite dim & I could see light reflecting back off the car in front but this turned out to be the DRLs as my wife was following me & couldn't see any rear lights on. When your car is Business Grey like mine it really needs lights in the fog! I appreciate that people are saying you can tell in other ways but from my point of view I'd have known straight away with a quick glance at the dashboard for the green light which works really well in our Yeti & has also been the standard in cars for decades. I do feel this is a real backward step & totally unnecessary too.

 

I don't trust the Auto lights at all when it's foggy now & just turn them on manually as I don't want to be a numpty driving with no lights on.

 

 

So the colour of the car decides if lights are needed in foggy conditions?

So the colour of the car decides if lights are needed in foggy conditions?

 

No but grey cars in fog are even harder to see so it's even more important to have your lights on!

No but grey cars in fog are even harder to see so it's even more important to have your lights on!

I see. Unless you are gray, of course :p

I was driving in fog the other week & my lights didn't come on in Auto, I assumed they had as it was quite dim & I could see light reflecting back off the car in front but this turned out to be the DRLs as my wife was following me & couldn't see any rear lights on. When your car is Business Grey like mine it really needs lights in the fog! I appreciate that people are saying you can tell in other ways but from my point of view I'd have known straight away with a quick glance at the dashboard for the green light which works really well in our Yeti & has also been the standard in cars for decades. I do feel this is a real backward step & totally unnecessary too.

 

I don't trust the Auto lights at all when it's foggy now & just turn them on manually as I don't want to be a numpty driving with no lights on.

I had a Yeti (14 plate - facelift) prior to the Superb and it also does not have indication on the dash of headlights on, my previous Yeti (pre-facelift) did.  While I find auto lights to be 99% effective there are limitations.  I drive into a military base everyday (normally when it is still dark) and have to put my lights to sidelights only when entering the gate.  You have to switch off auto and go to manual for this.  If I forget to put them back to auto and the wife drives the car assuming the lights will come on automatically........  Human error is always the main factor in any accident.  A simple light on the dash would remove the potential for driving without lights on due to human error.  Simple.

I agree with what people say about not trusting the auto lights and it's worth checking they are in fact on but what is all the nonsense about no indicator light... there is a simple warning light on the dash isn't there! It's just on the switch not the instrument cluster and it's not exactly hard to see? Do you really need a huge bright green 1cm³ light right in the middle of the cluster instead of the pretty obvious one on the switch? I can understand that if your very short the seating position might make it akward to look around the steering wheel at it but come on! Suppose if this is the only thing that winds people up about the car then the rest of it must be good :-D